Sprinkler system



atented July 21, 1931 JOHN R. HAMILTON,

OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OI-IO, ASSGNOR reussi PATENT OFFICE TO AUTOMATICSPRNKLER COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CLEVELAND, OHTO, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Application filed March 7,

This invention relates to automatic sprinkler systems and, moreparticularly, to dry pipe systems.

lt is one of the objects of the invention to provide an improved form ofautomatic water valve that will be held in its closed position by an airvalve of smaller size than it has been the custom to employ. Insprinkler systems, of the type referred to, it has been common 1practice to so proportion the parts of the automatic valve that an airpressure of approximately one-sixth of that of the water pressure willbe capable of maintaining the water valve in its closed position andthis has usually been accomplished by using an air valve which is verymuch larger than the water valve and this has required a relativelylarge and expensive construction which it is the object of thisinvention to avoid.

According to the present invention, the size of the air valve is verymuch reduced, as compared with prior devices of this nature, and the airand water valves are connected by a lever mechanism that will permit therela tively low air pressure on the air valve to hold back therelatively high pressure on the water valve.

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty will beapparent from the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

F ig. 1 is a longitudinal section through an automatic valve embodyingmy invention, certain parts of the pipe system being shown r inelevation;

Y pipe system., a branch line of the dry pipe system being shown at 12and having a spr1`nkler head 13 thereon. The usual shut-olf valve forthe water system is shown at 14 and the casing 15, ofthe automaticvalve, is arranged between the valve 14 and the riser 1927. Serial No.173,231.

pipe 11, being suitably bolted to the same in accordance with the `usualpractice.

Nithin the casing 15, there is a seat member 16 with which the automaticwater valve 1? cooperates. rlhere is also arranged ithin the casing aseat member 18 for the clapper valve 19 which is mounted to swing on thepivot pfn 20, the latter being mounted in bosses 21 and 22, on thecasing 15, as shown in Fig. 2. rlhe clapper valve 19 has two arms 23which engage wi tn the pivot pin 2O and also has a rubber gasket 24,preferably of Llshaped cross-section, which cooperates with the seatmember 1S. As will be seen from Fig. 1, the scat members 16 and 18 arearranged in non-parallel planes which intersect adjacent the pivot pin20.

Onv the upper side of the water valve 17, there is a centrally arrangedheini-spherical boss 25 with which a socket member 26 cooperates, thissocket member having a peripheral lange 27 which engages with the underside of a threaded ring 28, carried by the valve 17 and serving tosecure the socket member 2G to the valve 17 but permitting a certainamount of universal movement between these parts. The upper end of thesocket member 26 is externally threaded and se-V cured in a recess 29 ina lever 30. One end of the lever 30 projects into a cavity 31, formed inthe lower side of the clapper valve 19. A pivot pin 32 connects this endof the lever 30 with a pair of links 38, the lower ends of which arecarried by a pivot pin 34 on the clapper valve`19. As will be seen fromFig. 1, the pivot pin 34 is parallel with the pin 20 and positionedapproximately midway between the latter and the axis of the valve 19,this arrangement having the eect of multiplying the air load on thevalve 19 by two so thatthe downward force applied to the pin 82, as theresult of the load of the valve 19, is substantially double such load` Ascrew 35 is secured in the casing 15 and, when the valve 17 and 19 arein their closed position, the inner end of this screw engages with anotch 36 in the end of the lever 30, thereby forming a fulcrum point forthe latter. The screw 35 is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, after thevalves 17 and 19 have been seated.

The space between the valves 17 and 19 may be vented, for the purpose ofeliminating any air or water leakage, by means of a pipe 37, which isprovided with a valve seat 38. A ball 39 is normally arranged in thebend 40, in the pipe 37 and away from the seat 38, so that there isnormally a vent opening through-'the pipe 37 but, in the case of aneir'cessive flow of air or water, the ball 39 would be carried along bythe current of air or water against the seat 3S and thus close this ventso as to prevent the escape of any abnormal leakage and also prevent theescape of water, through the pipe 37, when the automatic valve opens inresponse to the opening of one or more of the sprinkler heads 13. Forthe purpose of draining` the dry pipe system, after it has been filledwith water, and for the purpose of testing the adequacy of the watersupply, there is a passage 41, in the casing 15, with which there isconnected a drain pipe 42 having a control valve 48 therein. The usualair pipe, for supplying air to the system, is shown at 44 and has avalve 45 therein. Y

As will be seen from Fig. 1, the connection between the valve 17 and thelever 30 is substantially midway between the ends ofthe lever 30, andsince the latter is fulcrumed on the screw 35, the force that is appliedto the pin 3Q will be capable of counteracting a force substantiallytwice as great, exerted on the under side of the valve 17 bythe waterpressure' in the water main'. lt will, therefore, be seen that the levermechanism, wh-ich l connects the valves 17 and 19, will cause the forceapplied to theupper side of the valve 19 to be multipliedbyifour sothat, if the valves were .of equal size, this lever mechanisml wouldenable a given air pressure in the air pipe system to hold back apressure of sub stantially four times that amount in the water pipe;Since it is the custom to have the valve operate when the air pressuredrops to about one-sixth of that of the water pressure, I have made theair valve 19 somewhat larger than the valve 1 7 and, theoretically, theareal of the valve 19 should be aboutfifty percent greater thanthatofthe valve 17in order to provide this desired diiferential betweenthe pressures. However, the lever mechanism permits the valve 19 to berelatively small, as compared with valves heretofore used and this, inturn, permits of a much smaller casingdfor the valves, than hasheretofore been use The operation of the mechanism is as follows:Assuming that the valve 14 is closed and that the system has beendrained by means of the valve 43, the valves 17 and 19 may then beclosed. rlhe screw 35, having previously been backed out suiiiciently toclear the lever 30, is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 where itengages in the recess 86 in the lever 30. The valve 45 may then beopened to fill the system with air to a pressure in excess of one-sixthof the water pressure, which, acting on the upper surface of the valve19, forces the valve 17 tirhtly against its seat. The valve 14 may thenbe opened to admit the high pressure water to the space below the valve17 and, so long as the pressure on the under side of the valve 17 doesnot exceed sin' times the pressure on the valve 19, the latter will holdthe valve 17 closed against the water pressure thereon.

lVhile l prefer, in accordance with the usual practice, to lemploy aratio of water pressure air pressure of 6 to 1, it will be understoodthat other ratios may be used by varyinv the proportions of the valves17 and 19, provided the leverage of mechanism connecting these valves ismaintained at 4 to 1, as previously described. TWhen one or more of thesprinkler heads 13 is opened by a fire or for any other reason, thepressure in the dry pipe system will be reduced and when the load on thevalve 19 becomes insufficient to counteract the load on the under sideof the valve 17, the latte-r will be lifted from its seat and, onaccount of the lever being fulcrumed on the screw 35, the initialmovement of the valve 17 will be about this fulcrum point. The lever 30will be raised by the valve 17 and this, in turn, will lift the valve 19from its seat, the valve 19 swinging about the pivot 20. lt will thus beapparent that, on their initial movements, the valves 17 and 19 willswing in opposite directions.

When the valve 17 opens, the water will rush into the space between thevalves and then both valves will be swung to their fully open position,shown in dotted lines in F ig. 1. The movement of the valve 19 causesthe abutment 46, on the lever 30, to engage with lug 47, in the cavity31 and then the lever 30 will be moved to the left, in Fig. 1, anddisengage the screw from the notch 36, such disengagement permitting thefree movement of the valves 17 and 19, with their connecting linkage, tothe dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. An arm 48, carried by a shaft49, that is mounted in the casing 15, is swung to the left by the valve19, as the latter moves to its fully open position, and then the arm 48drops to the position shown in Fig. l, where itis adapted to prevent thereturn of the valves 17 and 19 to their closed position until such timeas it is desired to reset the mechanism. lt will be noted that the arm48, while freely movable to the left, in Fig. 1, has a very restrictedmovement to the right because it will with the surface 50. However, whenit is desired to reset the mechanism, the cover plate may be removed andthe arm 48 swung up to a position where it will not interfere with thereturn of the valve 19 to its seat. For the purpose oit draining' waterfrom the lower part of the casing l5, a piple 52, having a normallyclosed control valve 53, is provided.

While I have illustrated and described what I now consider to be thepreferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood thatvarious changes in the details of construction and arrangement of theparts, as well as their proportions, may be made to suit varyingconditions and without d-eparting from the spirit of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In dry pipe valves Jfor spinklersystems, the combination of a easinghaving two valve seats, a water valve cooperating with one of saidseats, a lever on which said valve is carried, means 'for releasablyfulcruming one end of said lever, a clapper valve having a lixed pivotand cooperating with the other of said seats, and means operativelyconnecting said clapper valve with said lever at a point remote fromsaid ulcruming means.

2. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a casinghaving two valve seats, a water valv cooperating with one of said seats,a lever having a universal joint connection with said valve, means forreleasably ulcruming one end ot said lever, a pivot in said casing, aclapper valve carried by said pivot and cooperating with the other ofsaid seats, and means operatively connecting said clapper valve with theother end of said lever, said connecting means being pivoted to saidclapper valve at a point between the axis of the latter and the axis ofsaid pivot.

3. In dry pipe valves Jfor sprinkler systems, the combination of acasing having two valve seats, a water valve cooperating with one ofsaid seats, a lever having a universal joint connection with said valve,means for releasably uleruming one end of said lever, a pivot in saidcasing, a clapper valve carried by said pivot and cooperating with theother of said seats, and a link pivotally connected with said elappervalve and with the other end of said lever and through which the load onthe clapper valve is transmitted to said lever to hold said water valveClosed, the connection of said link with said clapper valve being at apoint between the axis of the latter and the axis of said pivot.

4. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a casinghaving two valve seats, a water valve cooperating with one of saidseats, a elapper valve cooperating with the other of said seats, a leverarranged between said valves and having one f' end releasably fulcrumedon a part carried 5..In dry Ypipe valves for sprinkler systems, thecombination of a casing having two valve seats, a pivot mounted in saidcasing with its axis parallel to the plane of oneof said seats, aclapper valve carried by said pivot and cooperating with thelast-mentioned seat, a water valve cooperating with the other of saidseats, a lever arranged between said valves and having one endfulcrumed, a link pivotally Connected with the other end of said leverand with said clapper valve at a point between the axis of said valveand the axis of said pivot, and means connecting said water valve withsaid lever between its ulcrum and the connection with said link.

6. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a easinghaving two valve seats, a pivot mounted in said casing with its axisparallel to the plane of one of said seats, a elapper valve carried bysaid pivot and cooperating with the last-inentioned seat, a water valvecooperating with the other of said seats, a lever arranged between saidvalves and having one end releasably fulerumed, means connecting saidwater valve with said lever, and means operatively connecting the otherend of said lever with said clapper valve at a point between the axisoit' the latter and the axis of said pivot.

7. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a casinghaving two valve seats, a pivot mounted in said casing with its axisparallel to the plane of one of said seats, a elapper valve carried bysaid pivot and cooperating with the last-mentioned seat, a water valvecooperating with the other of said seats, a lever arranged between saidvalves, a member adjustably mounted on said casing and engaging one endof said lever when said valves are seated to form a fulcrum for thelever, means connecting the other end of said lever with a point on saidclapper valve between its axis and the axis of said pivot, and auniversal joint connection between said water valve and said leverintermediate the ends of the lever.A

8. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a casinghaving two valve seats arranged in nonparallel planes, a water valvecooperating with one of said seats and an air valve cooperating with theother, means for-venting the space between said valve seats, and levermechanism conneoting said valves andV whereby the air load on said airvalve will hold said water valve seated against a greater water loadthereon comprising a lever releasably fulcrumed at one end and having auniversal joint connection intermediate its ends with said water valve,and means connecting the other end of said lever with said air valve.

9. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of a casinghaving two valve seats, a water valve cooperating with CII one of saidseats and an air valve cooperating with the other, and lever mechanismarranged between said valves and comprisin r a lever releasablytule'rumed at one end afneconnected intermediate its ends to said watervalve ano a linlr connecting the other end of said lever with said airvalve, said lever mechanism being so proportioned and arranged that theair load on said air valve will hold said water valve seated against agreater water load thereon.

l0. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of acasing having two valve seats, a pivot in said casing, an

1 air valve mounted on said pivot and cooperatlng with one of saidseats, av lever arranged between said valves and having one end tul-Crumed, means connecting said` valves with said lever at ditferentdistances from the lever tulcrum and whereby said valves move relativelyduring the early part of their opening movements, and means tor limitingsuch relative movement of said valves and whereby both valves are causedto swing about said pivot throughout the major part of their openingmovement.

1l. In dry pipe valves for sprinkler systems, the combination of acasing having two valve seats, a pivot in said casing, an air valvemounted on said pivot and cooperatQ ing with one of said seats, a leverarranged between said valves and having one end fulcrumed on said casingon the opposite side ot said valves from said pivot, means connectingsaid water valve with said lever at a point intermediate the ends of thelatter, means operatively connecting the other end of said lever withsaid air valve and whereby, upon their initial opening movements, saidvalves are permitted to swing in opposite directions, and means forlimiting the relative movement between said lever and said air valve andwhereby, after their initial` opening movements, said valves are causedrto swing together about said pivot in reaching their fully openpositions.

12. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an air valve seat and awater valve seat formed therein, a clapper vmounted within the casing,an air valve upon the clapper adapted to close upon the air valve seat,a water valve adapted to close upon the water valve seat, a part uponthe casing located adj aeent to the air valve seat adapted to form astop, a bell-erank-lever having one lend pivotally associated with theclapper, said lever having its other end adapted to abut said stop whenthe air valve is closed, and a bearing part upon the central portion ofsaid lever in engagement with the water valve.

- 13. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing, an air valve seat and awater valve seat formed within the casing, a clapper mounted within theCasing, an air valve upon the clapper adapted to close upon the airvalve seat, a water valve adapted to close upon the water valve seat, apart located upon the easing adjacent to the air valve seat adapted toform a stop, a bell-erank-lever having one arm pivotally mounted uponthe clapper, said lever having the other arm adapted to abut againstsaid stop when the air valve is upon the air valve seat, and a pivotalconnection between the water valve and said lever.

lt. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an air valve seat and awater valve seat formed therein, a clapper pivoted upon the casing, anair valve upon said clapper, a lever pivotall-y associated with theclapper, a part located upon the opposite side of the casing relativelyto the pivot point of said clapper `and adjacent to the air valve seatforming a stop against which one end o1c said lever is adapted tofulcrum, a water valve, a bearing part upon the central portion of saidlever, and a pivotal connection between said bearing part and the watervalve.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atlix my signature. l

JCI-IN R. HAMILTON.

